Steam-trap



(No Model.)

A. STUCKI.

STEAM TRAP.

Patented Feb). 8 1898.V

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters PatentNo. 598,824, ydated February 8, 1898. Application filed May 14, 1897. Serial No. 636,525. (No mocleLl To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, ARNOLD STUCKI, a citizen of Switzerland, and a resident of Altoona, Blair county, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Steam-Traps, of

which the following is a specification.

Myinventicn relates to that class of steamtraps in which the movement of the valve which governs the iiow from the trap is ef- 1o fected by the expansion and contraction of a zo inafter set forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a sectional View of a steam'trap constructed in accordance with myinvention, the valve being shown open. Fig. 2 is a similar view showingthe valve closed; and Fig. 3 is a sectional view, on a smaller scale, illustrating a modification of the invention.

Steam-traps of the character to which my invention relates, while generally applicable, are especially intended for use in connection with the steam-heating pipes or systems of railway-cars. Vhen intended for such use, the valve must be large and must have considerable movement in order .to provide an opening of sufticient area to rapidly drain olif l the Water of condensation when a train is nearing or has reached its destination and the steam is cut off, such rapid drainage being necessary in many cases in order to prevent the freezing of the Water in the trap and pipes. A considerable movement of the valve means a corresponding expansion of the vessel containing the volatile liquid, and this in turn requires the use of an expansion vessel with thin Walls in order to permit it to readily respond to the internal stress and so that when expanded to the maximum extent the elastic limit of the metal will not be reached or exceeded."

The expansion vessel is usually such that it will move the valve from the fully-opened position to the completely-closed position by jection of the expansion vessel to a temperature such as that represented by these pressures causes excessive expansion of the walls of the vessels. Hence the elastic limit of the metal composing the same is exceeded and the walls of the vessel are thereby caused to bulge or take a permanent set, and hence the vessel on a reduction of temperature does not contract to its normal extent and therefore does not work properly until readjnsted. In order to overcome this objection, I limit the expansion of the valve-operating vessel so that it cannot pass beyond certain limits, even when subjected to extremely high temperatures.

In the drawings, 1 represents the casing of a steam-trap closed at the top by a detachable cap or cover 2 and having at one side an inlet 3 and at the bottom an outlet 4, there being within the chamber contained in this casing a valve-chest 5, having passages 6, which communicate with said chamber in the casing and also with the outlet 4.

The valve-chest 5 is in the present instance of cylindrical form and contains a sliding cylindrical valve 7, which is normally raised to its full extent by means of a coiled springt), interposed between the expanded base of the valve-chest 5 and a flange or collar l0 on thev valve.

The upper end of the valve has a stem 1l, which has an enlarged head bearing upon the underside of the expansion vessel l2, the latter consisting of a pair of corrugated disks, preferably of cylindrical form, connected together at the outer edges, so that the vessel is hermetically sealed. Bearing upon the upper side of the vessel 12 is a stud 13, which is secured to and projects inwardly from the cap or cover 2 of the casing l.

The vessel 12 is contained within a box or cage 14, which preferably consists of upper and lower hal-ves suitably secured together at their meeting edges, this cage having slots, perforations, or other openings, thus forming an open-work cage, so that free access of steam or water to the outer surface of the vessel12 is permitted. Said vessel 12 contains alcohol, bisulfid of carbon, or other volatile liquid, which will be so acted upon by the heat of the steam or water of condensation as to cause rapid expansion or contraction of the vessel in order to close or open the valve 7; but when the desired limit of expansion has been reached, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the walls of the vessel 12 come into contact with the inner sides of the box or cage 14, and any further expansion of said vessel 12 is thereby prevented, such further expansion being resisted by the strength ofthe box or cage 14, which is too great to be overcome by the expansive force of the liquid contained in the vessel 12 under any temperature to which it is likely to be subjected in practice. Hence undue strain on the walls of the vessel 12 is effectually prevented and the trap always remains in operative condition.

The vessel 12 shown in the drawings is constructed so as to expand both as to its upper andlower sides. Hence the box or. cage 14 is carried by the vessel and is free to move in the casing 1 as said vessel expands or contracts, and, while this construction is preferred, a palpable modification of my invention is one in which the box or cage is xedly mounted in the casing, as shown, forinstance, at 14 in Fig. 3, and provides a rigid backing for the top of the vessel 12a, the expansion of the latter being downward.

The valve '7 has a transverse slot 15,thr ough which passes a transverse pin 16, carried by the valve-chest 5, this pin limiting the upward movement of the valve under the thrust of the spring 9 and thereby restricting the compressive action of the vessel l2.

While I have shown in the drawings and prefer to use a valve sliding in a chest so as to open and close passages formed in said chest, it will be evident that my invention is not limited to this construction, but can be used in steam-traps having any desired form of valve operated by the expansion and contraction of a vessel under the influence of varying degrees of temperature. y

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. A steam-trap in which are combined a casing, a valve governing the outlet therefrom, an expansion vessel wherebythe operation of said valve is controlled, and an openwork box or cage in which said expansion vessel is contained and by which its expansion is limited.

2. A steam-trap in which are combined a casing, a valve governing the outlet therefrom, an expansion vessel controlling the operation of said valve, and an open-work cage containing said expansion vessel and limiting the expansion of the same, said cage being free to move in the casing.

3. A steam-trap in which are combined a casing, a valve governing the outlet therefrom, an expansion vessel controlling the operation of said valve, and an open-Work cage mounted u'pon and movable with said expansion vessel, and serving to restrict the expansion of the same.

4. The combination in a steam-trap, of a casing, a valve governing the outlet therefrom, a spring for movingsaid valve so as to open the same, an expansion vessel serving by its expansion to close the valve against the action of the spring, and an open-work box or cage containing said expansion vessel and serving to limit the expansion of the same.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

Witnesses:

A. V. DIVELY, JNO. C. INNEs. 

